|| Children of the Big Three. -- Thal... you were chosen to stay back and lead the camps with Hazel and Reyna. Thalias eyes flashed and her lip twitched, something subtle, but Jason knew her well enough to catch it. She was angry. But more than that, she was frustrated. Like everyone else, she was appalled at the unfairness of the situation. Since his talk with his father, Jason had accepted it. For himself, at least. And seeing his sister, his beloved sister, someone with whom he was really beginning to bond, fighting back tears, was even more painful and distressing to deal with than... than everything else that had happened. Its not right, she said, sounding calm, but her lip was quivering. Its not right that I should have to stay back here... /safe/ and... Thalia took a deep breath, composed herself, breathed heavily through her nose. ...and my baby brother goes off on some quest again... I... With a harsh sigh, she kicked at the ground with such force, a cloud of dust erupted around them and Jason barely had time to form an air shield. Even so, he coughed a little until the dust finally cleared. Its the /third/ prophecy, Jase, she said, sounding helpless. And this one sounds even /worse/. Thats because it is, Jason said quietly. Were all terrified. Thalia was quiet a moment. Somewhere above them, an owl hooted and the sound was forlorn and lonesome. Cant...cant you... Thalia began again. Cant you tell me what its all about? Jason gave a small shrug. I cant. I cant talk about it. Why not? Why wouldnt you tell your own-- Jason took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. Thalia, do you think that I wouldnt come running to you, to /you/ of all people, if I knew what was going on? Youd be the /first/ to know! Then-- Jason let go of her and flung his arms up above him in exasperation. I dont understand it, Thal. I dont understand any of it. Its beyond me. Its beyond all of us. This one is different. You know that. Thalia breathed out, a long, drawn out breath. Can you promise to come back? You know I cant promise that... But I promise to try. They embraced. Above them, the storm continued to grow. Around them, eyes from all over the world watched. Watched. Judged. And watched some more. -- Percy was rocking back and forth. He couldnt stop. He was drenched in sweat but it was chilled on his feverish skin. Percy, look at me. Annabeths voice was soft. When he didnt look, and he continued to stare at the wall ahead of them, his eyes glazed over, his jaw twitching, Annabeth repeated herself, more harshly this time. Percy looked at her. He swallowed. He was so cold. I didnt think... he said, his teeth chattering. I didnt think itd be me. It was the first time hed spoken since hed left the arena. Annabeths eyes were rimmed red. One wouldve thought she had spent the entire night getting high, but really, her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, staring too hard at the blueprints for Daedaluss Bridge, and... well... crying. She couldnt recall the last time shed brushed her hair or washed clothes. Had she showered that day? Did it even matter? What if we said no? she asked. What if we refused? Illogical. She knew that. What if everyone dies... It was supposed to be a question but Percys voice was so hollow, it just faded in the starkness of his cabin. Annabeth wrapped an arm around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. The gesture resonated with Percy and he pressed his cheek against the top of her head. And together, they sat and rocked slowly as though in time with an invisible ocean. -- Im going with you, Will said as soon as they entered Hades cabin and the door was shut behind them. Nico whirled on him, his face wild with fury. You better be joking. Will straightened up, squared his shoulders and set his jaw. It was strange to see the transformation from lanky, languid cat to a pillar of fire, unwavering, steady, and on the verge of explosion. Nico gazed at him warily. Dont behave like that. Its not my choice. The fire didnt dim. Im going with you, Di Angelo. Im serious. Like Hades you arent! Nico snapped. The prophecy listed three demigods, Will. /Three/. Do you know what happened the last time an extra demigod was brought along? She /died/! His voice reverberated around the cabin; it was rife with pain and only did then Wills shoulders slump and he let out a sigh. Im sorry, he said, sitting on the edge of Nicos bed. The cabin radiated with Nicos anger and frustration. That was the problem with Nico - his moods were often infectious. People thought Will was the only one to remain unaffected but really, he was just better at handling negativity than most. He still felt the punch of Nicos mood and it didnt escape his notice that the shadows in the cabin crept forward several inches - coming out of the corners, or from under the bed... Where everyone else would be fighting to suppress a shudder of fear or disdain, Will only felt sadness. I dont want you to be alone, he said. Was he imagining it or were the shadows now receding? I wont be, Nico responded as he took of his shoes and shed his jacket. The anger had died down, but Will knew it was still there lurking like a demon just beneath the surface. He thought back to the prophecy surrounding Kronos and was grateful that Nico hadnt directed his anger in the way Luke had - if itd been Nico instead of Luke, the world would have, indeed, fallen. Even now, Will knew Nicos anger wasnt directed at him. Not really. It was directed at his father, Hades. Directed at Zeus. Directed at God. Directed at all the beings that stood watch outside Camp Half-Blood. Directed at the goddess that had appeared in the flames. Directed at something so unfathomably old... It was intangible. And there was some part of it that Nico directed at himself because even now, there wasnt really anyone that Nico hated more than himself. He was getting better, sure; he was appreciating himself more, but those moments came up when his flaws and his failures seemed to be outlined in the brightest of light and Nico saw /only/ them. And it could be hard to drag him away from that berating loathing. What can I do? Will finally asked, knowing that pushing Nico too hard, especially now, was a really bad idea. The son of Hades crawled onto the bed and plopped down on one side. Just stay here. Will turned and crawled up the bed, too, and lay on his side, facing Nico. They didnt touch. They just gazed at each other and for the first time since the defeat of Gaea, since... since ever, Will was allowed to really look at Nico, like /really/ look at him. And seeing him like this, so clearly, so vulnerably... It was one of the best gifts Will figured he could ever receive. Is that what beginning of love feels like?
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 10:34:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015